


Roy Jones

by LaximusBlack



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Comedy, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 11:08:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaximusBlack/pseuds/LaximusBlack
Summary: Gregory Jones and Roy Koopa have been on the same football team since freshman year. They're also best friends. One of them is gay and the other doesn't know what they are. Can they find love in a hopeless place?(I'm terrible with summaries but yeah eventual RoyxMale OC)





	1. Introductions

Gregory Jones, linebacker and vice captain of the Darkland High football team, slammed his locker shut for the 4th time that week. The koopa found it cathartic and the junky door had a habit of not closing properly.

He ran his claws through his jet black buzz cut and sighed. It was only a month into his senior year and he already wanted it to end.

He'd woken up late that morning, received a cherry juice stain on his black shirt that seemingly resembled blood courtesy of an unattentive freshman, his blue jeans were caked in mud from a slip and fall not 15 minutes ago, and he was trying to keep his emotions in check, failing hard.

"Hey Greggy! Great game last night!" A seemingly random girl congratulated him as she walked by with her posse.

"Oh right, Kristie. She looks to be doing well." He mused to himself. Ok, he was coming down a bit.

He picked his bag up off the floor and noticed a note fall from the side pocket that usually kept his water bottle.

He picked up the piece of paper and read it to himself. His half smirk fell, replaced with a frown. It was a note from another cheerleader trying to use his status on the football team to step up the metaphorical social ladder.

"I swear all these girls care about is being popular. She's not even the bottom of the pyramid, she's second to the top. I'm not helping her."

He ripped the note in half and incinerated it in his hand.

Unlike other koopas his age, he was a pyromancer like the king of their land. He hadn't gained full control over it, but he could use his flames in short bursts.

Greg trudged off to Calculus with a deep scowl overtaking his features.

Meanwhile, Roy Koopa, son of King Bowser, was fast asleep in his Algebra 2 class. He had stayed up all night playing video games and couldn't keep his eyes open for anything or anyone.

It was a good thing he always wore his signature dark pink shades or they'd know his eyes were closed. His snoring on the other hand was a dead giveaway.

"Prince Roy!" The teacher threw a piece of chalk at his head and he sprung up suddenly.

"Y equals mx plus b!" He spouted in his sleep stupor.

"Lucky guess, but I'd advise you not to sleep in my class again." She turned back to the board and began the next problem.

His head slammed into the desk once more, unable to remain conscious.

Once lunch hit, Greg and Roy crashed next to each other at their normal table.

The room was full of muffled chatter and reeked of mystery meat. The mystery was how it was legal to feed it to the teens without a release waiver.

Greg's breathing hitched as he caught a whiff of Roy's musk. He must've ran out of the house without showering. This wasn't exactly a bad thing as it helped Greg get even more comfortable next to the prince.

"Late night playing Light Souls?" Greg asked Roy.

The pink Koopa nodded. "Bad day?"

"It's like you can read my soul." Greg chuckled.

"I saw the blood on your shirt."

Greg slammed his head into the table. "It's cherry juice. My teachers all sent me to the nurse's office when they saw it."

"They **are** fucking morons." Roy remarked.

" **You're** one to talk Mr. C Average. How do you get away with that and stay captain of the team?" Greg side-eyed his best friend, face still partially on the table.

"Pure skill. And being a crown prince helps as well."

"Must be nice." Greg rolled his eyes.

"Eh, it has its perks." Roy patted him on the back, trying to give him some kind of brotherly comfort.

Greg's eyes glazed over slightly at the touch. He didn't want it to end.

Two other koopas sat at their table, one of them wearing their football jersey. They put their trays of food in front of them.

"Seriously, why do you do that? The game ended 10 hours ago. Take that shit off." Greg had decided to sit back up and stare at his other friends. He mentally growled as the hand on his back retreated.

"It helps bring in the ladies. We can't all have a magical milkshake that brings all the girls to the yard." The red scaled koopa replied, obviously proud of his response.

Greg pushed his face into some mashed potatoes. "Damn it, Reggie. Even as wide receiver, you're a dork."

"Hey Barron, are the others not coming?" Roy asked the blue scaled koopa.

"Pete is with his girlfriend and Fred is home sick."

"What's he got?" Roy continued his line of questioning.

"LAF. Lazy As Fuck syndrome. His dad wrote him a fake note. It pays to have a dad that spoils you and has connections."

"He would know." Greg chimed in. Roy dunked him in Reggie's mashed potatoes in retaliation.

Their group of 6 had been close since they all tried out for football their freshman year. Roy took command and led them and their team to 3 championships.

The 4 kept poking fun at each other until they heard the bell ring.

"Remember, coach wants to see us after school so don't be late." Roy reminded them as they dispersed. He and Greg had their next class together so they went together.

"What do you think he wants?" Greg broke their established silence as they weaved through the crowded hallways on their way to American Lit.

"I dunno. I couldn't even begin to guess." He crossed his arms, the muscles under his scales flexed reactively.

Greg bit back a gasp. His eyes were locked in on his friend's arms.

He licked his lips, catching a bit of leftover potatoes. It helped play off his strange behavior.

Once in class, their teacher quickly went over their lesson from the last class, which was poetry, and their assignment ended up being create a poem using free verse. Roy struggled quite a bit while Greg couldn't stop his pen from moving.

He had a lot of pent up emotions to convey and only one piece of paper to put them on.

"Ok, who wants to read their poem to the class?" The teacher scanned the room and locked eyes with Greg. He shook his head, but the older koopa took this as a challenge. "Gregory Jones, you're up."

The dark koopa glared at his teacher as he stood. He stepped to the front and stared at his paper full of words. He swallowed, then began to recite them.

**_Playing with the lace on my converse_ **

**_Thinking of the ways you can get hurt_ **

**_Saw you with that girl and my heart burst_ **

**_I'm letting go I'm letting go_ **

**_Looking at my eyes in the mirror_ **

**_Contemplating life and I shiver_ **

**_Cause it's all like a river_ **

**_Take you up take you down_ **

**_Take you all the way around again_ **

**_Yeah, and all the way around again_ **

**_My mind don't wanna hear what my heart says_ **

**_My heart says to my mind mind your business_ **

**_Always seeing green when the lights red_ **

**_Can't look back I can't look back_ **

**_Running out of luck on a Sunday_ **

**_Good to know that I got a Monday_ **

**_And it's all kinda funny_ **

**_You go up you go down you go all the way around again_ **

**_And all the way around again_ **

**_Every things cool_ **

**_The glass is half full_ **

**_Too much sun, back in the shade_ **

**_Life gives you lemons make lemonade._ **

**_Everythings cool_ **

**_Whatcha gonna do?_ **

**_Four foot one standing on stage_ **

**_Life gives you lemons make lemonade_ **

**_Drink it down, yeah drink it down slowly_ **

**_Spike it up with some chips and guacamole_ **

**_Good for you soul_ **

**_Make you feel whole_ **

**_Just a taste and you'll never be lonely_ **

**_Never never no never be lonely_ **

**_Drink it down yeah drink it down slowly_ **

The class erupted with applause. He'd completely forgotten they were there. He felt like he was speaking directly to Roy. Sadly, the shades wearing koopa was as oblivious as the rest of them.

"Nice work, Gregory. It's as if this isn't the first time you've written poetry."

It definitely wasn't and chances are it wouldn't be the last.


	2. Royal Rumble

The coach silently commanded the football team's attention as he entered the locker room.

"Great game yesterday, you guys! I can see your all serious about making it to the kingdom championships this year. And a special thanks to Greg for scoring the winning touchdown.

The boy shrunk into himself as the room began to cheer for him.

"It was nothing. The ball came right at me." He tried to downplay his accomplishment, but it really was something to be proud of.

Not only did the runningback of the opposing team come straight for him, he didn't have a solid grip on the ball giving Greg the chance to rip it from him and dash 30 yards to win the game.

"Fuck that, it was great!" Roy joyously shouted over his friend.

Greg blushed. "Ok, it was kind of amazing."

"I say we celebrate!" Coach patted his slightly chubby stomach. "Party at Bankies after Friday's practice! On me!"

The team was in high spirits after the coach made the announcement. Bankies wasn't cheap.

Greg was the last one or of the locker room that afternoon. He was the last koopa to turn down free food but he was thinking of ditching the party.

He didn't really like big gatherings. He'd only go to certain events he was either forced into or required to attend. This was hopefully neither.

The koopa took the path back to his house at his own pace. His mind drifted every which way as he turned another familiar corner. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, pulling him back to reality.

He input the lock code and watched the text cover the screen.

He read it over a few times before smirking. "So they've got another match for me tonight? Just what I needed."

He picked up his pace so he could get ready for the showdown.

He dashed through the door and was met with his mother. Her light blue scales lit up when she saw her son.

"Greggy! You're home!" She lunged forward and hugged him tightly. She was a bit shorter than him, reaching about his shoulders in height.

"Mom, I saw you this morning." Greg sighed, but hugged her back.

"I'm just so proud of you! I heard about your game from Valerie. You scored the game winning points!"

"It wasn't hard when they kept giving the ball to a guy with butterfingers and sending him directly to me." Greg tried making light of the situation.

"Well I'm proud regardless. You go ahead and get ready for dinner. We're having your favorite."

"Fettuccini and Meatballs?!" Greg's mood lifted considerably. "You know just how to make me happy."

"Anything for my little man. Now go get cleaned up."

Their meal passed in silence as usual. It was a comfortable silence that Greg and his mother both cherished.

"I'm gonna turn in early." Greg picked up his plate and began walking to the kitchen.

"What time did they tell you?" She tossed her son a smirk.

"8:30." He conceded.

"Try not to stay out too late. And don't come home banged up again. You know I hate when you get hurt."

"I promise." He kissed her on the cheek and went upstairs to grab a smaller bag and his mask.

The teen stood in a deserted field in the outskirts of Darkland. He kicked at the ground and found the cellar door that would lead to his destination. Before he went inside, he tied his mask around his face and adjusted his black jeans.

He stepped carefully down through the secret passage, following the torches that lit the area. Loud music began to hit his ears, signaling he was close.

He reached a rough looking bouncer that looked him up and down.

"Welcome back, champ." He shot Greg a crooked smile.

"Good to be back, Jimmy. Who's coming for the belt tonight?"

"Some new kid who goes by Kid Danger. Nothing you can't handle though."

"We'll see about that." Greg slipped past him and took in the familiar site of the Dark Side Fight Club.

The main lobby had a few guests and fighters conversing. The door to the stands were directly in front of him and the dressing rooms could be reached from doors on the left or the right. Loud music pumped through the speakers around the room.

Greg passed a few more bouncers who greeted him warmly and made his way to his special dressing room. He'd been a regular at the club for quite some time and had even taken down the previous champ on his first try. Needless to say, he was damn near unbeatable.

The room was pretty spacious and came with a couch, TV and coffee table.

He took a seat then began to check his messages.

No new messages.

Well that's a bummer. He put the phone on the table and flipped the TV on.

A middle aged man with a mean 5 o' clock shadow wearing a suit popped up. "Commissioner Stanley. Nice to see you again."

"Oh, Greg! It's been a long time! How's your mother?" The man beamed.

"She's doing well. Anything you can tell me about my opponent tonight?"

"You can go all out tonight. No holding back whatsoever."

Greg was visibly excited for the fight now.

"You can head down in about 2 minutes. Try not to get too banged up before you win." The man waved and the channel changed to some old cartoon from the 90's.

The arena was huge. The walls were barred with steel cages. The audience stood on elevated platforms, cheering for the mindless violence they were there to indulge in. The floors were covered in a tan dirt, akin to sand but not quite.

"Welcome to the main event of the night!" Commissioner Stanley began as the arena's light centered in on him. "In the right corner, our challenger, Kid Danger!"

A light hit the area Stanley pointed to and a short yellow koopa with a red mohawk stepped into the ring. He wore a red mask that covered his eyes.

"In the left corner, your champion, Flamin' G!" Greg let the light hit him and also stepped into the ring.

"I want a clean fight. First one down for more than 3 seconds loses. No fatal blows. If we're all clear then..."

Kid Danger held his left hand out. A weird energy twirled around each claw. "Don't blink."

Greg let his fists catch fire. "Same to you."

"Begin!"

The two flipped back then threw matching punches. The energy build up from their clash launched them both back into the walls.

"The fuck was that?!" Greg steadied himself before dodging a blast of pure energy. It looked like a combination of circles, triangles, and squares, but it left a sphere shaped hole in the gate/wall.

"You're good. Normally the match would be over by now." The boy chuckled.

Greg didn't reply and slammed his fist into the ground. Flames erupted around the boy, successfully keeping him in place.

The grey koopa launched across the ring, fire spewing from his feet propelling him forward. He reared back ready to throw a punch.

"I told you not to blink." Kid Danger appeared under him, pressed a hand to his chest and blasted him into the air.

The Kid Danger surrounded by the flames flashed into nothingness.

Greg grit his teeth as his lungs emptied almost instantly. He briefly lost his train of thought as he hit the ceiling.

He fell back to the ground where he was met with a swift kick to the other end of the arena followed by another and another. Kid Danger was juggling his opponent all over the field by teleporting where he'd land, then hitting him once more.

The crowd was in an uproar. They'd never seen Flamin' G pushed this far into a corner. It was truly a sight to behold.

Once his opponent seemingly got bored, he was dropped near the wall.

"1... 2..."

Greg stood to his feet, but felt his knees threaten to buckle under the pressure. He didn't know if he could take another hit like that. He felt his lip where it was dripping a steady amount of blood.

"The kid's magic is on another level."

"Had enough?" A warning shot landed right in front of Greg's feet.

The grey koopa shot him a glare that could freeze Bowser himself in his tracks.

Kid Danger began throwing blast after blast at Greg who could barely keep up.

"Dance, tubby, dance!" He chortled.

Greg felt his inner fire spark up. "No one... calls me Tubby."

Kid Danger's face paled as he was enclosed in a box of fire. Greg began to shrink the cube in on his opponent, little by little.

"You blinked again!" He heard the childish voice from behind him.

As the hand touched his shell, it caught fire and retracted.

"There's no escape."

Kid Danger tried to put the fire on his hand out. Greg threw a punch directly to his gut, then landed a roundhouse kick to the kid's chest and knocked him back. He followed up by standing over him holding a fireball.

"I've got you pinned. Submit."

"1... 2..."

"No chance." Another blast rang out which Greg barely dodged.

"Fine then." Greg held his hands out. "If you're still standing after this attack, I'll happily hand the belt over."

Kid Danger hopped up and let loose a hearty cackle. "You're bluffing! No way you'd stake it all on one attack."

"You obviously didn't do your homework." Greg pulled his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. Fire swirled around him, slowly being drawn into his shell. "Don't blame me for what happens next."

Kid Danger gathered energy into his fists in a similar fashion, his body flexing awkwardly.

The grey koopa growled loud enough to shake the arena. The fire absorbed by his shell shot out and formed into a pair of wings. His right arm was fully engulfed in flames.

Kid Danger dashed at him holding out his fist. Greg mimiced his action. As they got closer, he switched the fire to his left and twisted in the air. A solid left hook smashed into Kid Danger's chest, pushing him into the wall and onto his face.

"1... 2... 3! And that's the match to Flamin' G! He holds onto his title!"

Greg fell onto his ass. He had no energy left after that punch. "If I didn't bait him into that last clash, he could've definitely worn me down and won."

Kid Danger still hadn't moved. His mask however had been burned off in the clash. His hair had also lost its red coloring and was now blue.

Greg had a flash of realization hit him when he saw the kid's face. "Iggy!?"


	3. UMM...

Greg wobbled towards the castle piggybacking his best friend's little brother.

"I didn't know that was you..."

"Flamin' G? Couldn't have come up with a better name?" Iggy chastised him.

"Oh like Kid Danger is the next John Cena." Greg rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't have gone there. You're plenty powerful, but you're untrained."

"Right. And you had Master Mush teach you how to spew fire from your hands." Iggy coughed a bit. "My dad doesn't know I went to the fight club, so you'll have to lie for me."

"Oh, I was not telling my best friend's I kicked his little brother's ass. Of course we're lying."

Iggy smiled against Greg's shell and relaxed a bit.

"Why did you go in the first place?"

"I was bored. None of the minions I train with at the castle can even touch me. I needed a challenge."

Once outside the castle, he was met with a few servants that took Iggy off his hands and Kamek, Bowser's advisor.

"What happened to young master Iggy?! Explain yourself!" He swung his arms around in a panic.

"Cool your robes. He got attacked in an alley and lucky for him I was there to save him. The guys who jumped him weren't so lucky."

"How'd you just happen to find him?"

"It was right by my favorite arcade." Greg was thankful he could think on his feet.

"Hmph! I'll just ask the young master when he wakes up if your story is legitimate."

"Yeah yeah. Can I go home now?"

The two koopatrollers gripping his arms gave him his answer.

"Can you at least tell Roy I'm here? I think as his best friend I have the right to let him know I'm being held prisoner in his house."

"Silence! Take him to the king."

Greg complied with the guards, especially confident that if not for his injuries he could take them.

They led him into the throne room where Bowser sat, obviously don't nothing until they interrupted his "busy schedule". The king jolted up in his seat as they approached him.

"What is the meaning of this, Kamek?" He groaned, seemingly unamused.

"My liege! We've brought you a boy who claims to have saved young master Iggy from bandits."

"They were thugs actually. Hey, King Bowser. It's been a while."

"Greg?! Let him go this instant!" Bowser's expression changed to one of shock as he pointed at the grey koopa. "Don't you know who this is?"

The guards let his arms go and he rubbed where they'd held him tenderly.

"N-no, your Furiousness."

"That's Roy's friend and probably the only reason he's still captain of the football team."

"Can I go one day without a compliment?" Greg felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

"I apologize, your Greatness! I should've known." Kamek bowed before the large koopa.

"Now see to it the guest room is prepared for him and our physician sees to his wounds. It's too late to send him home in his state."

"I'll have to call my mom and tell her where I am." Greg sighed. "What a bother."

"You act like this is the first time you've slept here on such short notice." Bowser eyed him quizzically.

"I was almost jailed by your royal advisor after saving your son. No offense, but I'm not exactly feeling welcome tonight."

"That's understandable, but you know I'd never let that happen." The king assured him.

"I'll take you for your word, sir." He bowed to the monarch. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go see Roy before I head to bed."

"By all means!" Bowser waved him off and sat back on his throne.

Roy was lying face up on his bed reading a comic book when a knock came from his door.

"Piss off!" Roy turned away from the door, not in the mood for one of his younger siblings to ruin his night with some crazy scheme or plan. It happened so often, he didn't exactly feel guilty until he heard the voice that responded.

"Hey Shades, it's Buzz. Lemme in."

Roy leapt at the use of his codename. He went to open the door and looked Greg up and down. "You look like a dog dragged you for miles then pissed on your lifeless body."

"Good evening to you too, fucker." He playfully punched Roy on the shoulder and sat at his desk.

"Not that I mind that you're here, but why are you here?" Roy sat back on his bed.

Greg began to feed Roy the excuse he had given everyone else and the pink headed koopa seemed to eat it up better than most had.

"What was Iggy doing out this late?"

"How should I know?" Greg yawned. "I should get to bed soon though. Your dad put me up in the guest room again."

"Oh, that's sick. So we're walking to school together?"

"Unless you sleep in again, I'd say yes." Greg spun in the chair, letting his shell take the hit from the comic book aimed at his gut.

"Get out before I throw Scary Potter Book 4. You know how thick that one is."

_Roy rubbed his hand down the side of Greg's face as they cuddled in his bed. He couldn't take his eyes of his best friend's silver pupils. Their fingers were locked next to each other and they could feel each other's breath on their respective necks. Roy even had his glasses off on his side table so Greg could see his cerulean eyes._

_"You know staring into the sun can make you go blind." Roy shot him a sly grin._

_"Don't get all mushy on me, you cock jockey." Greg pushed him back, then sat up slightly. "What chick flick did you steal that one from?"_

_Roy pondered for a moment. "Wait, you know I don't watch those!" His cheeks sightly flushed red. Greg was good at finding the small things that made him blush, although the crown prince would never admit that._

_"So what possessed you to go there, Shades?"_

_"I dunno. Just thinking." Roy reached for his glasses, but was stopped by Greg._

_"I like seeing your eyes. It feels like I could drown in them."_

_"Now who's being sappy?" Roy slipped the shades on and smiled. "Guess the beach is closed."_

_"I'll just have to sneak in..." Greg leaned in and connected their lips._

Roy jolted up in his bed and looked around. No one else was in the room with him.

He was relieved but also disappointed. That was the 6th time that month he'd had that dream and that was the first time it had ever gotten that far.

The worst part was that he wanted it to go farther.

He smacked his face and groaned. "Why couldn't I have developed a crush on Kristie? At least then I wouldn't feel guilty after the fact..."

He fell back into the pillow and rubbed his exposed eyes. "Please let that dream stay far away from me for the rest of the night."

It didn't.

The next morning, Greg awoke to 40 missed calls and 30 texts.

"Who the... Mom! Oh fuck!"

He quickly called her up and waited for the woman too pick up.

"Gregory Vincent Jones! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?! I THOUGHT YOU'D DIED! OR WORSE, BEEN ARRESTED!" Her concern leaked through the anger.

He explained the situation to his mom and heard her deflate slightly. "You're such a good person, son. But next time, call me first. Ok?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't forget to eat breakfast. You have money for lunch, right?"

Greg felt his pocket. His winnings from last night jingled harmoniously. "Oh, it's fine, Mom. I got it covered."

"Take care sweetie. I'll see you tonight."

He told his mother goodbye and went to the bathroom he'd been leant to shower up.

Greg found himself at Roy's room minutes later. He forgot he didn't have any extra clothes and needed to borrow some. He stood with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair slightly falling to the sides. It was too short to cover his eyes, but that didn't stop it from trying.

When Roy answered the door, it was as if everything was in slow motion.

He had just stepped out of the shower as well, so he was in a similar state of undress as his grey counterpart. They both looked each other up and down and felt the blood rush to their cheeks and something else.

Sure they'd seen each other like this after practice or a game, but that was while surrounded by other people. This was just them. No bystanders, no distractions. Needless to say they were both caught off guard.

"Greg!" Roy turned away. "Wh-why aren't you dressed?!"

"I n-needed some clothes. C-can I borrow some?" Greg crossed his legs to hide the obvious boner that had sprouted.

"Sure. Just... Wait a second." Roy closed the door and went to grab his sweatpants. Once decently covered, (according to him) he pulled some clothes he didn't feel he would miss and went to hand them to Greg.

He opened the door and practically knocked the grey koopa over with the force he threw the clothes with.

"Thank you?" He noticed the door slam in his face once more. He shrugged it off and went to change.

"What was that this morning?" Greg decided to break the ice on their established silence as they made their way to school.

"What was what?" Roy feigned ignorance well as he rubbed his head quizzically.

"Why did you freak on me when I showed up to your room?"

"Why'd you show up dripping wet in only a towel?" Roy shot back.

"What, did I get you hard or something?" Greg poked fun.

"Of course not! I was just... caught off guard is all."

"Right." Greg rolled his eyes.

"Well you acted pretty weird too. What was with the stuttering?"

Greg motioned for Roy to get closer. Once the koopa did he replied, "Well you were looking extremely hot and I was blown away by your manly chest dripping with water and those studly arms."

Roy pushed him away. "Come on! At least make your jokes a bit more believable!"

Greg smirked. The Superman approach really does work. "Ya caught me!"

"Aren't you dating Gale?"

"Nah I'm single. Gale was 3 months ago."

"Haven't you gone through every other girl at our school?" Roy rubbed his chin.

"You make me sound like a man whore. I've only dated like... 25 of the girls in our class."

"There are 28 girls in our class. They only one left are a lesbian couple and the transfer student."

"Gotta love Darla and Hannah." Greg sighed. "Thank goodness I don't have to date them."

They went back to silence as they reached the school.


	4. A Normal Day?

Nutrition break came swifter than a blue hedgehog as Greg sat with his arms crossed at a lunch table surrounded by cheerleaders.

They were preparing to explain their newest plight to the star linebacker. This was, sadly, a normal occurrence for the grey koopa.

The head cheerleader, Wendy Koopa, began to speak. "As you may know, Henry broke up with Heather about a week ago and she's still pretty torn up about it."

The girl in question sat on the edge of the group with tears poking from the sides of her retinas.

"So... We want you to date Heather for a bit to make him jealous."

"You know that's really fucking stupid right? Like extremely fucking stupid. Probably your dumbest plan yet." Greg rolled his eyes. Listening to Wendy seemed to make him lose brain cells. "Chances are he's not even thinking about her anymore. Wasn't he eyeing Brianna from Class 12-C?"

Heather threw herself into the girl next to her and began bawling her eyes out.

"SEE WHAT YOU DID?!" Wendy wasn't pleased and neither were the rest of them.

"Let it out, sweetie. Waste those tears on that jackass."

"Greg!" The girl next to Heather gasped. Greg vaguely recognized her as Marisa.

"What? Henry is a jackass. She could do better than him with one of the mathletes."

"You know we don't do Mathletes! They're uncool!" Wendy's words resonated in Greg.

"Maybe that's your problem. All of you." He stood and motioned to the entire group. "You're focused so much on being cool, that the unconventionally cool kids get left out to dry when chances are they'd treat you a million times better than Henry!"

"What's your deal today? Usually you just grunt and nod." Wendy gave Greg a side eye.

"Maybe I'm sick of pretending to date the people you set me up with for your own personal gain." The football player stood up. "I'm leaving. Deal with this yourselves."

"But wait! Didn't you get something out of this too?" The crown princess's lips curved upwards slightly.

The boy froze and turned back around. She wouldn't... "Shut up, Wendy."

"It was between us, but maybe if I tell everyone you'll finally be free of those shackles.

"I'm warning you."

"You'll be like a nice jacket on a winter morning. Fresh out of the closet."

"Wendy, can it!"

The light pink koopa stood on the bench, her smirk growing wider.

What if I told everyone you're g-"

Greg slammed a hand over her mouth. His eyes screamed death but his face kept a can mystique that frightened Wendy immensely. "You rat me out, I'll expose every girl you've ever made me date for the devious gutter bitches they really are. Fucking try me..."

All eyes were on them in the room. Even the other tables turned to see what was going on.

Greg moved his hand and Wendy composed herself.

"Go out with Heather until I tell you to stop and your 'little secret' is safe."

"She gets one kiss in front of Henry and I don't have to walk her home."

"That's acceptable."

Greg crossed his arms, but nodded and grunted his approval of the terms.

"Wonderful!" Wendy got down from the table followed by Greg. Once on solid ground, she did a twirl for victory. "Wendy O. Koopa always gets what she wants."

Roy, for once in his high School career, was actually paying attention in one of his classes: Psychology. He'd decided to pick it up as an elective assuming it'd be free credits, but now he was acting very not like himself: taking notes, asking questions and reading his textbook.

It scared him a bit, but the lesson for the day was on dream analysis and he damn sure needed to find out what his dream meant.

Sadly, it was plain as day on the pages, in his head, and through every kind of meaning it could've had. Case and point, he wanted to be in a relationship with Greg. A really close one.

During their in class assignment, he went to a shelf on the other side of the class and pulled a dream journal. He read another passage that basically cemented his thoughts.

Your bedroom is a private place that you just don't disclose to just anybody. Do you remember who was in the bedroom with you? People in your bedroom represents your relationship with that person. What ever events that took place in your dream should be decoded and brought to that persons attention.

If you are just laying in your bed relaxed signifies that you are content with your current state. If you are having sex on the bed means that you are very creative and have a stronger connection than you did before.*

Sex? If he hadn't woken up, was that the next step? He wasn't sure, but he remembered the sensation. Before now, the quarterback had only seen his best friend as just that. But now... Was he always that cute?

He shook the thought from his head and slammed the dream journal closed.

"I'm gonna fight this for as long as I can."

When lunch rolled around, the two koopas sat next to each other, albeit with a noticeable gap between them.

Their friends picked this up as they also sat down. Fred and Pete were there with them this time.

"Did you guys break up or something?" Reggie nudged Greg's arm.

They both snapped to attention. "Wh-what?! We aren't-" They both spoke in unison and held their hands up defensively.

"Chill out. I was joking." Reggie's lips curved downwards. "You're just usually a lot closer to each other."

"Oh..." Roy sighed. "I dunno. I guess we both needed space? It's kind of hot out here."

"It's 64 degrees..." Barron held up his phone and sure enough, it was.

"We just left the football field so we're probably still warm from all that movement." Greg snapped his fingers.

"You took a shower afterwards so that's also not a good enough excuse." Fred finally spoke from his end of the table. Or was it Pete? He could never tell the twins apart outside of their uniforms. Fred had glasses but he only wore them in class so the teachers could tell him apart from his brother.

"Ok what's really going on?" Reggie bit into his taco. "You guys are acting funny. And not funny haha..."

"I'm not hiding shit!" They replied together. "I mean he might be- wait what?! I thought you were my best friend! I thought you were mine!"

"Enough!" Fred and Pete stopped their rambling.

"We're the twins here so cut that shit out. That's our shtick." Fred(?) rubbed the side of his head.

Roy decided to divert attention away from him and Greg. "So who's ready for the game against Green Hill High? I hear this year they have one of the best runningbacks in the tri-kingdom area."

"As long as we don't let them run it into the end zone, we should be fine." Barron bit into his own taco. "I'm not worried. We've got Greg."

"What? Am I some sort of secret weapon now?" The grey koopa raised his left eye in amusement.

"After that display last week, you're more like an atom bomb our team can flex to keep other teams in line." Reggie added.

"They do have a point." Roy propped his head on his arm.

"I'm not that good."

"Bullshit." Fred and Pete called out together.

Greg let gravity carry his head to the table. "Fuck you guys."

"We love you too." They all nudged him, giving him reassuring pats of encouragement and praise.

Greg's knees chafed as she scrubbed the kitchen floor that night. His mother's toothy smile loomed over him.

"Isn't this a bit much?"

"After the night I had? You're lucky you don't have to retile the roof." Her laugh sounded so innocent, but you could feel the hidden aggression behind it.

"I was pretty focused on getting Iggy home last night. I almost got arrested. Can't I get some sympathy?"

"Oh, you missed a spot, sweetie." She chided him.

"Did I mention how sorry I am that I didn't call you sooner?" He scooted to the spot she mentioned and began vigorously cleaning it.

"Of course. Now keep scrubbing." She left her son to the kitchen and went to finish watching a movie in the living room.

"I love you!" He shouted to her.

"I love you too but I also love clean floors! Get it done!"


	5. Coming To Terms

"Homecoming..." Greg sighed as he saw some Sophomores putting up flyers for the upcoming game against their rivals, The Mushroom Kingdom Toadstools. And what comes with the big game? The homecoming dance.

The koopa knew he'd be dragged to the dance by Heather just to torture his already corrupted soul. The afformentioned koopa was currently hanging off his arm like a tote bag and gawking at the poster.

"We're gonna have so much fun!" In that moment, her voice was part banshee, part car alarm.

"You mean  _you_  are."

"Don't be such a wet blanket!" She chided him. "You'll get to check out all the cute guys trying to outdo each other."

"You're playing to my weakness and I can respect that tenacity." Greg sighed. "Fine... But I'm not dancing."

"One slow dance at the end of the night and I'll drop it."

Greg stroked his chin. At least it sounded reasonable. "Ok, fine. As long as no one stares at me."

She squeaked and hugged him tight. He rolled his eyes but hugged back whole heartedly. He was depressed, not heartless.

Greg thought to himself and honestly had no idea how he'd gotten out of going to certain dances even though he was vice captain of the football team. The excuses left his brain the moment he was excused from going.

She pulled away as the bell rang for 2nd period. "Walk me to class?"

"Sure." He held his arm it for her to grab. "Just not too tight please. I've got practice later."

They made their way down the hall, catching a few people's attention as they passed them including Roy. The purple shelled koopa grit his teeth and crushed the bag of chips in his hand into particles of what once was. He looked down at the mangled chip bag and felt his face twist into something that resembled confusion.

Why had seeing Heather caused such a rise in him? He wasn't gay. Well... He certainly thought he wasn't. Maybe he needed an outside opinion.

During lunch, instead of sitting with Greg in the lunchroom, Roy went to seek out Darla and Hannah. He found them on the roof of the school sitting next to each other on a sturdy pipe. It looked like they were both neck deep in their phones.

"Did Kristie send you the invite to her party?" He heard Darla ask her girlfriend.

"Nah, she told me you got it so I didn't need it."

"Why couldn't she send you one too? I'm not your keeper."

Hannah turned to Darla and gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Ok I get it." Darla flashed her lover a smile and hugged her. "You're such a derp."

"Umm... Excuse me?" Roy coughed so he could get their attention.

The two girls stayed interlocked but turned to Roy. "Can we help you, Prince Quarterback?"

"Just Roy is fine." His eyebrows furrowed. "I wanted to ask you both something."

"We're gay, Roy. We're not interested in a threesome." Darla replied, rolling her eyes.

"Is that really how you see me?" He dropped his shoulders. "Never mind. This was a waste of all of our time."

Hannah smacked Darla upside the head. "Go ahead, Shades."

The prince rubbed the back of his head, but continued. "How'd you know you were in lesbians with each other? I mean love!" Roy caught himself.

"Why do you wanna know?" Hannah eyed him quizzically.

"I might be in lesbians with someone."

"You mean love." Darla corrected him.

"Isn't gay and lesbian interchangeable?"

The girls gasped. Hannah spoke first. "Two things. First, not in your case. Second, are you saying you have a crush on a guy?"

"Figuratively speaking, yes."

"Uh uh. We're not the type to gossip about stuff like this so spill." Darla was her fingers across her lips then flicked away an imaginary key.

"I... I don't know." Roy plopped on the ground in front of them. "I mean I have this friend and I used to see him as just that. But now I get all... happy when we're together and really angry when I see him with other people."

"Sounds like you're jealous."

"I don't talk feelings. This is new to me." Roy rolled his eyes. "Usually all I talk about are training, football and the occasional TV show or video game."

"Then it's a good thing you came to us." Darla went into her backpack and pulled out her laptop. "Ok, Question 1."

"Wait, did you just pull up one of those 'Are You Gay' quizzes?" Roy stood up, but Hannah grabbed the laptop.

"We've never had a guy to try this out on. Just roll with it and if it doesn't help we drop it."

Roy scratched at his arm. "It couldn't hurt I guess." He sat back down and crossed his legs. "Hit me."

Greg sat with his other friends at the table waiting for Roy.

"Did he pass out in the hallway again?" Barron asked Greg.

"Doubt it. We'd have heard something about it by now."

"Maybe he got into a fight behind the gym again." Reggie added.

"Nah. He would've called me to tape it for him like he always does."

"You guys are really close." Fred's lips curled up deviously.

"I mean we're best friends." Greg's cheeks flushed red. "I don't see the problem."

"Think about it. You guys are basically co-captains of the team, you're always around each other and you tutor him every other day. Chances are if you were both gay you'd be banging."

"But we're not..." Greg swallowed the lump in his throat. He hoped they would drop it there.

"I dunno. I have caught you staring at Roy's ass before." Fred crossed his arms.

"We're just..."

"And didn't that poem in class seem a bit suspect? 'I saw you with that girl and my heart burst?"

"Guys... I'm not..." Greg's eyes bulged out slightly and his arms wrapped around his torso.

"Greg, are you ok?" Reggie leaned in.

"I'm... I'm not..."

"Dude, is the table getting hot to anyone else?" Barron inquired.

"I... I gotta go!" The grey koopa shot up and burst out of the lunch room.

"Greg!" His friends dashed off after him.

He took to the steps 3 at a time up to the third floor before ducking into the bathroom. He opened the handicap stall and locked it behind him.

"I'm... I'm... I'm..." He tried taking deep breaths but they all came out shaky. His hands clammed up, he could feel the atmosphere change, and he seemingly was alone.

He dropped to his knees and threw his head back, clutching it in his hands. His mouth jetted open and belted out a shrill cry. Fire began to erupt from every open hole on his face, scorching the walls.

Unlike when he usually used his powers normally, he felt as if the fire was eating him alive. He had no control over his power in this moment.

"I- **AUUUUUUUGH**! I- **URRRRGH**! I'M GAY! THERE!"

As the words left his mouth, the atmosphere seemed to shift back to normal. The fire went away and he crashed to the floor in a heap.

"I'm gay... I'm gay... I'm a fucking faggot." Tears streamed from his face. "I'm so fucking gay..."

A crash could be heard from above him, but he didn't have the strength to look up.

"He's in here! Shit, it looks bad. Get the nurse!" He assumed the voice was Barron, but it could've also been Reggie.

His eyes fluttered closed, meanwhile his inner fire seemed to be back to normal, a comfortable burn churning inside him.

Greg floated in everflowing darkness. He slowly opened his eyes to the expanse of space.

"Great... Here again."

"I'll bring you here as many times as it takes to get the message drilled into your thick skull." A bright flame suddenly lit the darkness and revealed that they were in a small room similar to Greg's bedroom, yet it was devoid of furniture, posters and any sign of someone living there. The flame seemed to be sentient and held a stern, yet seemingly warm tone.

"Pyros... What'd I do this time?"

"Must I tell you every time you're dragged here?" The flame grew until it was about Greg's size. It slowly seemed to take on the shape of the grey koopa.

"My mind is a complete blank besides the pain all over my face. Thanks for that."

"When I decided to lend you my power, you made the pact with me of your free will. The Bond Of Flame doesn't take pity on those that break its rules." Pyros crossed his arms. "You should know them by heart."

Greg rubbed his arm unconsciously. "Use the flames regularly, don't use the flames to kill unless your life is threatened, and never deny your true self..."

"You've broken the pact for the  ** _second_**  time. The third time, the flames won't stop until you're nothing but ash on the concrete." The flaming doppleganger snapped his fingers and a pillar of fire spawned next to Greg before fading.

"I  **get**  it! I... I won't do it again."

"My goal isn't to kill you, but if you don't follow through with our pact then I will do what I must." Pyros gave Greg a look as best as he could with no solid eyes.

The teen scratched at his neck. "So what now?"

"Now we sit here awkwardly until you awaken."

"As blunt as ever." Greg rolled his eyes. "And you wonder why I don't like talking to you much."

"I'm only a thought away." Pyros smiled. "And I'm only blunt when need be, you blockhead."

"Flamebrain."

"Funny. I was never really fond of name-calling until I met you." The fiery essence used his host's face to smirk at him.

"I still remember how we met." Greg chuckled. "One of the girls Wendy wanted me to 'date' dragged me to the fight club one day and they mistook me for a new fighter."

"I was dormant inside you when I suddenly felt you reach out to me for help." Pyros picked up the story.

"The guy they put me up against in my first fight could grow plants in seconds. I freaked out and ran in panicked circles before he tied me up in some oversized Venus Flytraps. I just wanted someone, anyone, to help me."

"Then I asked you if you wanted to make the pact. You agreed before I could read off the terms."

"After I got out of the fight and you actually told me what the terms were, I couldn't just stop going to the fight club when it was my only way to exercise the power regularly."

"And thus, Flamin' G was born." They both spoke the last part and chuckled.

Greg began to feel the room dissipate.

"Looks like it's time for me to wake up."

"Do try to keep the pact in tact so I don't have to... Y'know."

"I'm trying." The grey koopa held his hands up in surrender.

"Do try harder. I'd prefer not to lose another vessel to the pact."

Roy has skipped the rest of his classes that day to sit by Greg in the nurse's office. After going through a dozen different quizzes, he'd heard about Greg being admitted. He might've had to abuse his standing in the school and the kingdom, but it didn't seem like the nurse cared much. If anything, she seemed to enjoy Roy's company more than anything.

"You like that boy, don't you?" She chimed from her seat, her voice soft and soothing.

"I... I might. I'm still not sure yet." He blushed. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Oh please, child. You're not the first kid I let sit in here because their crush or significant other was knocked unconscious." She chided him. "Your secret is safe with me, but you really should tell him."

"And ruin our friendship?"

"I'm sure that's the last thing that would happen. From what I heard from the boys who carried him here, he's really fond of you."

"Really? What'd they say?"

"You should ask them yourself." She let her lips curve upwards into a smirk. "I'm sure they'll tell you."

The bell rang as she spoke.

"I'll be back. Don't let him leave until I get back. I'm walking him home."

"Can do, dearie."

Roy walked out the door calmly, then dashed towards where he knew his friends would converge after school.

A few minutes later, Greg's eyes cracked open. "Ugh... Wh-where am I?"

"Nurse's office. You've got quite a fire burning inside you, kiddo."

"How'd you-"

"Your friends mentioned that the walls of the stall they found you in were scorched up pretty badly." She explained.

"Well..."

"It's none of my business." She dismissed his response. "Now you wait here for your friend and I'll let you go on home."

"Friend?"

She explained that Roy had been there and told her not to let him leave.

"Now stay put and don't strain yourself."

Greg laid back down. Of course Roy was there. The reason he was lying there has been sitting right next to him and he wasn't awake to enjoy it.

"Can I at least use the bathroom?"

She nodded and he went to go relieve himself.

Roy returned as Greg exited the private bathroom.

"I'm glad you're up." The prince smiled.

"I'm feeling alright. No need to worry about me, Shades."

"Let's go."

"You two stay out of trouble, ok?" The nurse waved them off then went back to her papers.

The two made their way out of the school and on their way to Greg's house. There was a comfortable silence between them both, yet Roy felt the need to shatter it.

"So how'd you get knocked unconscious in the third floor bathroom? The guys just told me they were joking around with you and you bolted."

"Did they tell you what about?"

"No, I didn't bother asking actually..." He knew damn well what about, but he wanted to see if he'd bring it up.

"It wasn't important." Greg exhaled.

"Whatever it was had you knocked clean out for 2 hours. I'm sure you can tell me."

"Roy,  _please_ drop this." He didn't want to break the pact again so soon.

"Greg... Do you-"

"I said  **fucking drop it**!" A trash can they happened to be next to burnt to a crisp.

"Ok ok..." The silence returned, but it was a lot more strained and awkward than before.

As they reached the junction, Greg kept walking without saying goodbye to his friend.

Roy didn't blame him. He couldn't. It was entirely his own fault.

His feelings for the grey koopa felt real, his new friends, after extensive research (a dozen quizzes), thought he was in love, but he thought to seek council from one last source. Alone, he made his way to the castle he called home.

Greg sat in his dressing room at the fight club that night. He didn't have any matches, but he hadn't trained in quite a while.

The TV in the room clicked on and the commissioner's face filled the screen. "The training field is clear. You're free to use it to your heart's content, champ."

"Thank you, sir." The face faded away and he stood up to leave the room. He adjusted his fight shorts and clicked his wristlets on.

He made his way through the halls to a room next to the commissioner's office. Inside was a near soundproof room that functioned as a sparring room or an augmented reality training facility for the fighters. The walls were extremely white and sterile. The floor was more of a dingy silver, but still sleek and shiny.

He turned to the panel on the wall that controlled the AR and began plugging in specific instructions.

A knock came from the door. "I thought I had this place booked."

Greg went to open the door and was met with a green bear in black fight shorts. "Oh, I'm sorry to bug you, but Stanley said I couldn't come train with you."

"I'm not in the mood for a training partner."

"Humor me. I'm sure I'll be better practice than any bot."

Greg thought it over. "I'm not responsible for anything that happens... Umm..."

"Chow."

"Right."

"Also, you won't have to be."

The two stood on opposite sides of the room. It gradually morphed into an abandoned warehouse with crates stacked around them.

"So Flamin' G, let's see how you deal with me." The bear dashed at him, arms extended behind himself.

Greg held his own hands out, letting pillars of fire coast towards his opponent.

Chow seemed to be swallowed by the flames, but he was in fact unaffected entirely and landed a swift kick into Greg's chest.

The grey koopa reeled back, then threw a punch, Chow barely dodging then flipping over him.

Chow moved his arms in an awkward yet rhythmic fashion before shooting lightning at Greg, stunning him.

"You're not trying, are you?" Chow flipped over him once more and kicked him over on the ground. "I've seen you deflect weaker blasts heavily injured."

Greg hopped up and shook the excess static from his shell. "I'm just a little... tilted." He went back on the offensive, cloaking his fists in fire before throwing a few punches at Chow, each one barely missing the mark.

"A little? This feels like a lot more than that." Chow swept Greg's legs, then pointed and electricity loaded fist at his face. "Who's the girl? Or guy? Or person?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you were tilted. Very few things tilt guys like us. I'm just taking shots in the dark and assuming you're mad at someone." Chow backed off and the room returned to normal.

Greg sat up and stared at nothing in particular. "His name is Roy."

"And you like him."

"I love him more than I should, but he's so...  ** _frustrating_**  to deal with sometimes."

"Oh, you're preaching to the choir, buddy. Yet, unlike you, I got my man."

"How'd you do it?" Greg looked up at him.

"Simple. I told him I liked him on top of a 10 story building then kissed him in the back of my friend's car while running from the cops."

Greg stared for a second. "I don't think that's gonna happen to me."

"Hey, I'm just sharing my story. I thought he was straight at first, but he does not kiss like it."

"I doubt my story has a happy ending like yours."

"There are some happy endings you just have to fight for." Chow sat next to the koopa.

"How do I know when to fight?" Greg tilted his head towards Chow.

"The moment someone tries to take it from you." His tone reflected a tender bitterness. "Don't let it get to that point.

Bowser was lifting weights in his private gym when Roy walked in to have a word with him.

"King Dad? Can we talk?"

"Sure, one sec." He finished his set before docking the heavy metal bar on its rack and sitting up to address his son. "What's up, Roy? Everything ok?"

"Yeah. I just need some advice."

"Please tell me it's not homework."

"You know I'd go to Greg for that." Roy rolled his eyes behind his shades. "It's... something else."

"Then spit it out. I got reps to do." The king flexed his arm muscles as to emphasize his point. If not for his pudgy belly and rounded pecs, you'd believe he was a king's guard an not the king himself. He was truly the definition of a final boss.

"Well... I have this friend. And my friend is starting to grow feelings for another friend of mine, but he doesn't know if he should tell him."

"I think the friend should tell the other friend. If they don't, it'll eat at their insides. And if the other friend is a true friend, they'll either return the feelings or let them down easy."

"My friend will be happy to hear that."

"Son, I've been around the block too many times to believe that 'friend' shit. It's you, isn't it?" Bowser leaned in close.

Roy stiffened. "Y-yes sir."

"Ok then. Is the other friend Greg?"

"Yes sir..."

The room was consumed by an eerie silence. Then the older koopa chuckled.

"To be completely honest, I thought you guys had already been dating."

"Dad!?" Roy hopped back.

"I'm sorry son, but every girlfriend you've ever had has taken a backseat to that kid. Can you even remember the last one you actually brought home?"

Roy thought it over. He could barely remember their names. "Ok, you might have a point."

Bowser stood and walked to his son. "Gay or not, you're my son. It's not like back in the day I didn't kidnap a prince or two and took them to my dungeon if you know what I mean."

"TMI Dad..." Roy recoiled from the older man. "Not trying to think about you getting some."

"Hey, you're probably gonna do stuff with Greg soon under my roof. You think I wanna picture my son getting his V-Card stamped?"

Roy made his way to the door. "Well this was... A conversation."

"Yes it was. Sleep tight, son.",

'"Good night, King Dad."

Roy left, allowing Bowser to continue his reps.


	6. What Is Love?

Roy didn't sit with his friends at lunch the next day. Greg was also missing from the table. It seemed as if some of the life had been sucked out of the group as the world bustled around them.

"So... Anyone gotten into any shenanigans?" Barron sparked the conversation.

"I got a B on my Algebra 2 quiz." Pete replied.

"I found a couple of rocks on a desk in my English class arranged in a weird way." Fred added.

"Was it a Loss reference?" Reggie asked.

"I think so now that I look back on it."

The table got quiet as they ate. Usually, Greg or Roy would carry the conversation with a crazy scheme or story that usually ended with everyone out of the loop shooting milk out their noses or laughing so hard they wasted more air than they were taking in. They soon noticed they had nothing to really talk about. Feelings of regret began to overtake them all.

"You think we might have caused this?" Barron broke the silence that had seized their table, motioning to the place where Greg and Roy usually sat.

"You mean the absence of our two friends? I would say so." Reggie replied.

"Yeah, Greg seemed seriously uncomfortable when we started hassling him about him and Roy." Fred chimed in. "And Roy wasn't exactly bursting with joy after we told him what happened."

"And how we found Greg too. You think he was trying to... Y'know?" Reggie paled. "Are we terrible friends?"

"Ditch the food. We gotta find him." Pete said as the four left their half eaten lunches behind and went in search for Roy and Greg.

Greg sat on the edge of the roof, igniting a small flame in his palm, then extinguishing it. To no one's surprise, the only thing on his mind was Roy.

He wasn't angry at his best friend anymore, but the big lug wouldn't leave his head. Chow's words from the night before hit him harder than any kick he could've thrown.

"A happy ending worth fighting for..." He let the flame get a little bigger. "How do I know when to fight?"

He fell back on his shell and looked up at the sky. Nothing felt right to him. Everything that once felt concrete was now as muddled as his thoughts. Was Roy really worth all this mental anguish? Weren't there other fish in the sea? Couldn't he move on to one of those?

"You know this mopy shit isn't the type of thing the guy I like would do. He's more of a 'Let's go destroy a junkyard' kind of guy. Although I assume that's our plan for after school."

Greg looked back to see Roy walk up behind him and sit next to him on the edge of the roof. He sat up as he noticed the shades wearing koopa had slipped them off and held them in his hands. He looked down at them with his eyes closed.

"Roy?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday... I was still trying to figure things out. I think I have though."

"You? Thinking? Should we get you to the nurse before you pass out?" Greg tilted his head to the side, a small smile creeping on his lips.

"I'm serious!" Roy playfully shoved his best friend. "Y'know... I used to think my feelings were something I could just suppress until I could channel that built up energy into other things like football. But then I met you."

"Umm... Roy?"

"Let me finish." He stopped the grey shelled koopa. "I thought I could suppress it all, but I don't think that's gonna help either of us. You are the best friend I could ever have in the entire universe, but lately that's changed. I want more from you... A lot more."

"Roy can I just-"

"What I'm trying to say is-"

Greg gripped Roy by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, crashing their lips together.

Time seemed to slow down as Roy's eyes shot open, then slowly closed again. He wrapped his arms around Greg's torso the best he could and began to participate more in the kiss. They both tipped over and lied on the gravely roof, not caring that the rocks were scratching at their scales.

Their kiss might've lasted three hours or three minutes. They didn't have any grasp on the concept of time anymore as their tongues slipped into each other's mouths.

As their game of tonsil tennis came to the boiling point, Greg was the one to break the kiss.

"You fucking talk too much, you know that, Shades?" Greg shot him a smirk. He'd only seen his friend's eyes once before and he couldn't stop staring into his beautiful cerulean pupils.

"Eat my ass, Buzz." Roy shot back, slipping his shades back on.

"That can be arranged."

"Oh, you pervert!" Roy playfully pushed him away. "Can you not?!"

"You know you love it." Greg let out a light chuckle.

"I love you..." Roy replied in a hushed whisper.

Greg froze. "Y-you do?"

Roy traced a claw along Greg's cheek. "Yeah... I do. No joke."

"Roy..." Greg let the blood rush to his cheeks. He had only dreamed that his best friend would say those words one day. This didn't seem like much of a fight in his eyes but he wasn't complaining. "I love you too."

They lingered in a comfortable silence for a few seconds before it turned awkward.

"Ok, I dunno where to go from here." Roy rubbed the back of his head and shot Greg and innocent grin.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Greg held his hand out. "Y'know, be boyfriends, cuddle under trees, make out and all that shit? Fair warning though, I'm not gonna start acting all girly just because you know I'm gay now."

"Same here," Roy replied, inwardly letting out a sigh of relief his best friend wasn't about to pull a complete 180. "But are you sure that's a good idea?"

"We don't have to tell anyone. It can be our little secret."

Roy tapped the side of his head with his claw. Secrets like this were hard to keep. But for Greg... "Ok. Deal." He grabbed Greg's hand and was swiftly pulled into another kiss. He was ready for this one though.

On the other side of the roof, Darla and Hannah silently squeaked to themselves.

"They're so damn cute together!" Darla said in a hushed whisper.

"I wonder who's the top." Hannah smirked.

"10 bucks says it's Roy."

"You're on."

As lunchtime winded down, the four friends' search for Greg and Roy had turned up no results. They'd decided to head to their lockers early instead to grab their books for the following period.

"You think they took their lunch off campus?" Reggie asked, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"It's possible." Barron replied, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"They must be really mad at us if they avoided us that well." Pete chimed in.

"Doubt that was their plan." Fred said.

"What makes you say that?" Pete looked over at his twin.

"They're at their lockers." He pointed to their two targets laughing and pacing in front of the lockers as they chatted. The rest of the hallway was almost barren of people except for a couple kissing farther down the hall.

It wasn't uncommon for the two koopas to just stand around their lockers and talk on their off time. If anything, this was the first place to search if they were supposed to be somewhere and they were late or didn't show. The thing that threw the group off was that they'd checked there about 6 times during their search.

"You did not!" Greg walked in a semi circle around Roy, his overflowing joy from hearing the story keeping him moving. "Tell me it's lies."

"Real talk. You were dripping wet and I was like 'Boi-yoi-yoi-yoing!' which caused me to stutter and throw the clothes at you so quickly. If you'd have asked me to smash right there I wouldn't have hesitated to say yes."

"You were looking a lot wetter and cuter tho I had to look down which didn't help much. I was caught off guard by the skull tee and shorts hitting me in the face." Greg leaned against the lockers.

"Oh, you are such a dork." Roy punched his arm.

"No, you." Greg punched back.

"Friends!" Reggie greeted the two as the group approached them.

Greg dug into his locker and pulled out a container of mashed potatoes and smushed Reggie's face in it.

"Wush that nushusurry?" He mumbled through the food.

"Reggie has been mashed for your sins. Any complaints?"

The rest of the group seemed to not mind in the slightest.

"Good." Greg retracted the container and threw it behind him. "Let's go."

"You kind of just littered." Fred pointed at the sloppy mess of processed starch foods on the floor.

"You gonna clean it up?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

"Fuck no."

"Then don't worry about it." Greg turned towards class as the bell rang.

They picked up conversation as they made their way towards their next class. Sadly, it wouldn't last.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you sweetie!" A pair of arms that felt nothing like Roy's wrapped around his bicep and shattered Greg's fantasy.

"Heather..." Greg turned to her, then looked over at Roy. He did not look happy. "Can we talk over here?"

"Sure." She replied. Greg dragged her away from the group and around the corner.

"We gotta break this off like yesterday. If you do it, Wendy can't keep me trapped in this."

"What?! But... Henry hasn't asked for me back yet! And what about homecoming?!" She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"You need to realize you're better off without him. And I really don't think this is good for either of us. Especially me."

"Please just give me until the homecoming dance is over!" She seemed to be grasping at straws. Beads of sweat collected on her brow. "Then we can have a huge break up and if Henry doesn't want me by then I'll move on."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Heather held up her pinky. Greg sighed and wrapped his pinky around hers.

Greg and Roy sat on top of a couch that was nestled on top of a mound of trash. They were surrounded by similar mounds of trash that were much bigger than the one they nested on.

"I'm gonna kill my sister." Roy gripped his Bullet Bill Blaster, took aim and turned a pile of trash into rubble.

"Chill, babe. It'll all be over after homecoming. 2 more weeks." Greg drew a circle of fire around another pile and watched it melt into a puddle of smelly goop as the flames overtook it.

"But she knew you didn't like girls, yet set you up with all her skanks." He let off another shot, destroying another pile.

"It helped keep me low key so I can't say it was all her."

"But I would've still been your friend even if I knew you were gay. You're too good a friend to lose from something so stupid." He aimed once more and evaporated another garbage pile.

"It wasn't something I wanted to risk." The grey shelled koopa looked around. "You think they appreciate us clearing this place out?"

"It means they make more money since there's more space to dump shit. I'm sure they don't mind."

Greg put his hand on the blaster. "You make me happy."

Roy put the cannon shaped weapon down and held Greg's sides. "What'd I say about that mushy shit?" He let his lips curl upwards.

Greg mirrored the look on his boyfriend's face. "That if I want a kiss, don't use sweet talk to get it?"

"You know me so well."

They moved in close and connected their lips in a chaste yet loving kiss.

"Don't we have homework we should be doing?" Greg let the thought slip from his mouth.

"Have you ever done homework that wasn't a project worth a percentage of your grade?" Roy asked.

"Not since elementary." Greg shrugged.

"Then shut up and kiss me."

He didn't need to be told twice as he was pushed back on the sofa and caught in yet another kiss.

Greg thought that Chow must've been joking when he said what he said, yet somewhere in his head he kept the words on standby. Something was coming, but he wasn't sure what.

Roy saw the flash of concern in his boyfriend's eyes and kissed along his neck. "Something wrong?"

Greg felt the lips brush across his neck and snapped back to reality, back to Roy. "No, babe. Everything's fine... Everything's fine."


End file.
